Deflector for air-brakes.



Nd. 784,537. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

E. BEARSS.

DEFLEGTOR FOR AIR BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12.' 1904.

%na55e5 fizz/(42 200 U ITED STATES- Patented March 14-, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DEFLECTOR FOR AIR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION follning part Of Letters Patent NO. 784,537, dated March14, 1905.

Application filed August 12, 1904. Serial No. 220,579. I

To [l/[Z w/wm it may concern.-

Be itknown that LEUGENE Buaussof Ellenville, in the county of Ulster andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inDeflectors for Air-Brakes, of which the following is a full and cleardescription and with the accompanying drawings is aspecilication.

The question of so-called frozen triples or train-pipes is one of themost serious obstacles to the perfect working of the train airhrake inwinter-time, and the loss of many lives and much property has resultedfrom failure of the air-bral c apparatus to operate at a time when icehas formed in the triples or in the couplings or other low pockets inthe train-pipes, and thus obstructing the flow of air. To overcome thisdifliculty and to separate the moisture from the compressedair has beenthe desire of all users of the airbrake. and many de *ices have beentried for this purpose, one of which is to pass the compressed airthrough a series of pipes forming a radiator, and thus cooling the airbefore it passes into the reservoir from the pump. Another has used tworeservoirs as radiators with the aim of cooling the air and collectingthe moisture, but with unsatisfactory results.

My invention accomplishes the desired results by the use of a deflectorchanging the direction of the air after entering the main reservoir, andall moisture, grit, and dirt which may be drawn into the pump throughthe strainer are deflected downward and deposited in the main reservoirand can be drawn off from time to time.

In the drawings attached, Figure 1 is a general view of the air-pumpdelivery-pipe and main reservoir, the latter in section; Fig. 2., amodified form of deflector. Fig. 3 is an end view of reservoir.

In the ordinary process of compressing the air for use in a trainair-brake the free air is taken into the pump A through a strainer E,and dust and moisture in theatmospherc that pass through the strainer Eare forced under pressure through the delivery-pipe C and into the mainreservoir B. In cases where the air is taken from the reservoir at apoint opposite or level with the inlet F a current forms between theinlet and outlet, and the moisture and dirt, commingled with air, passthrough to engineers valve and to train-line air-pipe and triples, andwhen the air is cooled the moisture collects at the lowest pockets orrecesses, and in freezing weather the brakes are inoperative from thiscause.

It is generally understood that free air being compressed by an air-pumpto ninety or one hundred pounds pressure (which is the pressure usuallymaintained in the main reservoir) becomes heated, and moisture in theair passes with it readily through the airbrake apparatus until it iscondensed, which is done by cooling the air. By forcing the heated airdownward to the outer periphery of the main reservoir it becomes cooled,as the outer shell is' generally as cold as the atmosphere, and themoisture being heavier than the air settles in the reservoir and can bedrawn off at will.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen thatI have placed a deflector Dinside of main reservoir B in front of the inlet-opening F, and air orany other substances entering under pressure will be directed downwardby this deflector D, and the heated air coming in contact with thecolder shell of the reservoir B the moisture forms in drops or beads andcollects at this point, and the air being relieved of same passesthrough outletG to engineers valve and train-line. This deflector D issemiconical in form and has its base open and terminating at a pointslightly below the inletopening F. In Fig. 1 the deflector in mainreservoir is shown riveted to the inside end of the main reservoir andso placed as to cover the inlet-opening F, so that nothing can enter thereservoir without impinging against the deflector. This can be used onlywhere new reservoirs are so manufactured; but for application toreservoirs which are now in use the device shown in Fig. 2 will give'the same results. This deflector is screwed into the end of reservoir Band is easily and readily applied or removed, and the delivery-pipe isattached to same by a union H. By depositing the moisture and grit anddirt in the reservoir it has been clearly demonstrated that the life ofthe rotary valve in englneers valve has been very much increased andthat wear on the moving parts of triples is reduced very materially witha corresponding decrease in the cost of repairs and renewals,besides-diminishing the chances of a failure of the airbrake fromfreezing. The portion of the deflector D directly opposite theinlet-opening is greatly thickened or reinforced in order that theperiod of its utility will be prolonged, as this portion of thedeflector is subjected to a large amount ofwear.

I would state that this invention is used particularly on thatarrangement of air-brakes wherein the main reservoir is placedhorizontally with the locomotive-boiler and where the inlet Fand theoutlet G are in the ends of reservoirs, as in Fig. 1, for in thisposition it is readily seen that any dirt or moisture entering thereservoir at F would pass with the current through the outlet G and fromthence to the engineers valve and train-line unless otherwise obstructedby a deflector; but in other forms or arrangements of the piping of thereservoir the same conditions are met, but perhaps with a more indirectpassageof air, and thus retaining some ofthe moisture.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. In combination, an air-reservoir havingoppositely-opposed inlet and outlet openings and a deflector for theinlet-opening adapted to force air from the inlet-opening toward thewalls of the reservoir, said deflector terminating at a point slightlybelow the inlet-opening, said deflector having its portion opposite theinlet-opening reinforced.

2. In combination, an air-reservoir having

